Suttons Bay Public School Board of Education (BOE) members voted unanimously 6-0 to approve a letter of intent for an outdoor fitness court at its May 13 regular meeting.
The outdoor fitness center would be funded by a $40,000 2024 Priority Health Campaign grant, something the district applied for and received with help from Title VI mentor and coach Shan Bowens throughout the process. Suttons Bay Superintendent Casey Petz said at the meeting that while they were awarded the grant, they have some steps to take before moving forward and anything happening with the project.
“At this point we’re not at the phase of cutting a purchase order of 100% commitment, it’s just a letter of intent to continue the process… We’re just saying this is something we’re really interested in,” Petz said at the meeting. “The campaign mission is similar to what we’re doing here in Suttons Bay which is building healthy communities and building strong communities with our families and our students and staff…” According to the National Fitness Campaign’s website, the wellness consulting firm behind the outdoor fitness court idea, the gym is designed to provide a full body workout in seven minutes, all for free in the great outdoors. The fitness court, if constructed, would be the first one set up in Leelanau County.
Those that utilize the gym, as many as 28 people at once, will be able to practice seven movements for everyday health including core, squat, push, lunge, pull, agility and bend for a circuit training workout. The other side of the outdoor court would be used for high intensity training like Zumba, dance, yoga, athletics, and PE classes. There’s also a Fitness Court app for people with smartphones to access that provides training and exercise instructions on how to best use the gym.
“...You know how expensive it is to live here, you know how expensive it is if you own a home — families are barely hanging on and the last thing they need is a gym membership,” Petz explained to the board. “That also applies to how we manage our teams and run our sports and athletics and PE. We have to be resourceful and we have to work with our partners that are out there to be able to provide super high quality things… We have invested heavily in our indoor weight room a couple of years ago, and this is sort of another progression that would help us kind of revamp and modernize what it might look like outside.”
Petz said one of the fitness court requirements is to have it placed at least 150 feet away from an elementary school/ playground, adding that staff has discussed having it possibly located outside the high school’s gym.
In other business, the board: • Supported the Northwest Education ISD General Fund Operating Budget for the 202425 school year.
• Approved the purchase of carpet from Northern Floor and Tile Services in an amount not to exceed $59,000.
• Approved the installation of LED lights from Advantage Electric in an amount not to exceed $17,950.
• Approved the hiring of Jaylen Shivley as a custodian.
